Our Opinion: Grateful for good cops, brave citizens

Every year the Springfield Police Department lauds a handful of officers for acts of heroism and exceptional police work by publicly recognizing those who go above and beyond.

Rank-and-file officers frequently bear the brunt of public criticism for gaffes that often happen above their pay grade within the department or elsewhere in the city administration. The accolades offer a glimpse at the lengths good police officers often must go to solve crimes, make arrests and help improve the quality of life in Springfield.

The department recognized officers during an awards ceremony Wednesday.

The Silver Suarez Award, which recognizes uniformed officers for distinguished police work, was given to patrol officers Michelle Awe and Brandon Golden for solving a movie theater burglary. Instead of writing a basic report and passing it along to detectives for follow-up later, Awe and Golden talked to a clerk at a nearby convenience store, one of the few businesses open in the area at the time, and got a tip about the where the burglar might stay. Three hours later, the officers spotted the burglar, whom they recognized from video surveillance at the theater, going into the convenience store in different clothing. They stopped and questioned him, and he eventually confessed. They also found evidence linking him to the crime.

The William Herndon Award, which recognizes plainclothes officers, such as detectives and drug investigators, went to detectives Mike Brown and Steve Dahlkamp, who investigated the slaying of 34-year-old Charles Hunter, who was shot June 28 during an altercation in the 900 block of 13th Street. Dahlkamp and Brown used video surveillance footage, interrogations and other investigative skills to determine which of three possible gunmen fired the shot that killed Hunter. Their work led to four people being charged in connection with the shooting, including one for first-degree murder.

Twelve additional officers were given certificates of appreciation for their work on such crimes as armed robberies and burglaries, as well for providing emergency medical assistance.

Notably, the police department doesn’t only recognize police officers. Because cops so often rely on the public’s help to solve crimes and keep Springfield safe, the department publicly recognizes civilians whose assistance was particularly helpful or heroic.

A certificate of appreciation was presented Wednesday to Mark Crowe, who in November watched two people run from a gas station, get into a truck and drive away while he was sitting in the parking lot in his vehicle. The next day he learned they were suspected of stealing thousands of dollars from video gaming machines inside the business. He called police and gave them descriptions of the two people and their vehicle, plus other valuable information that enabled detectives to arrest the two for a rash of machine thefts in Springfield.

The department also recognized three citizens who tried to rescue people from inside a burning house on North Ninth Street in January 2013. Larry Reynolds was driving past and saw flames in the house. He forced open the back door and heard a woman screaming from the second floor but could not get to her because of the heat and the smoke. His wife, Crystal Prince, and another man, John Hemphill, hoisted him to an upstairs landing, where the woman was trying to pull another resident out of a window. Reynolds tried to pull the resident out but again was turned away by heat and smoke.

Tragically, four people died in the fire. Reynolds was treated for smoke inhalation. Police recognized him, Prince and Hemphill for working as a team and risking their own safety to rescue the victims. “Mr. Reynolds showed exemplary heroism for total strangers in their time of need,” police said in noting his actions.

As we’ve stated before, the police awards ceremony reminds us both how difficult police work is and how well some officers do it. Good cops help to make Springfield a better place, and they deserve to be complimented more often. Nice work and thanks for the service, officers.

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